Key: (B) = book | (F) = film | (T) = television series | (P) = podcast series | (TH) = theater performance | (M) = musical performance |[R] = reread/rewatch/relisten | (Tk) = talk

This is a non-exhaustive list of things I read, watched, saw or otherwise enjoyed in 2020.

The current list is here. Other years: 2019; 2021; 2022; 2023.

  • December
    • 22
      • Started watching The Bonfire of Destiny on Netflix T French period piece; so far, so good.
    • 20
      • Watched Apollo 13 on Amazon Prime F Amazingly tense, even though one knows it all ends well enough.
    • 19
      • Finished watching The Crown s04 on Netflix T Didn't much like Mrs Thatcher, now or then.
    • 13
      • Watched The Right Stuff on Amazon Prime F For Chuck Yeager, and because neither of us had seen it before.
    • 9
      • Started watching Ethos on Netflix T Nice enough as it went along and then — Wham! — huge grab at the end. Looking forward to the rest now.
    • 7
      • Started watching Le Bureau s04 on Apple TV T Already regretting that s05 is the final season.
    • 6
      • Watched The Gentlemen on Amazon Prime F Guy Ritchie, innit. Cracking.
    • 5
      • Watched half of The Conformist on Kanopy F and then couldn’t take any more, at least for now.
    • 4
      • Finished watching Le Bureau s03 on Apple TV T Far and away the best thing in years.
    • 1
      • Finished watching Borgen s02 on Netflix T Still undecided between Danish West Wing and Danish House of Cards; both at times, but mostly the former.
  • November
    • 24
      • Finished watching Queen’s Gambit on Netflix T Such a treat.
    • 15
      • Started watching The Crown s04 on Netflix T Not as much fun when you have a better idea of how awful things turned out.
    • 10
      • Watched Hockney on Photography on YouTube T Sweet little film from 2009, in which he explains the why of what he does.
    • 03
      • Started watching Queen’s Gambit on Netflix T Pretty enthralling.
  • October
    • 31
      • Finished watching Tehran on Apple TV T And blimey it was good. So much suspense. Such an open ending.
    • 27
      • Finished reading Our Daily Bread by Predrag Matvejević B A bit of a mixed bag, that's for sure. And I still have Gell-Mann amnesia about it.
    • 25
      • Watched Through a lens darkly on Kanopy F Documentaryocumentary about Black photographers, very interesting, and a bit too arty.
    • 17
      • Watched I, Tonya on iTunes F Absolutely wonderful permonances, and what a story.
    • 16
      • Started reading Our Daily Bread by Predrag Matvejević B and it is provoking a severe case of Gell-Mann amnesia
    • 14
      • Started watching Borgen s02 on Netflix T And it continues to be rather good.
    • 13
      • Watched one episode of Doctor Foster on Netflix T and that was enough to abandon it with no regrets.
    • 11
      • Finished watching Borgen s01 on Netflix T Danish House of Cards, I thought at first. Then Danish West Wing. First instinct was correct.
    • 07
      • Watched My Octopus Teacher on Netflix F Just wow. Amazing work, and so uplifting too.
    • 05
      • Finished watching Enola Holmes on Netflix F … gut gekocht.
    • 04
      • Finished reading Delizia! by John Dickie B So interesting, so informative, and such a good antidote to all the tosh out there.
      • Started watching Le Bureau s02 on Apple TV T Still way too good.
    • 03
      • Started watching Enola Holmes on Netflix F Scheiss, aber …
  • September
    • 21
      • Started watching Tehran on Apple TV T Very exciting.
    • 20
      • Started watching Borgen s01 on Netflix T So far, so good. House of Cards for our times.
    • 19
      • Finished watching Young Wallander on Netflix T Very nicely done, with an annoying, but justified, messy ending.
    • 14
      • Started watching Young Wallander on Netflix T Never did see Old Wallander, but this is promising.
    • 13
      • Finished watching Le Bureau s01e10 on Apple TV T and I feel like I've been put through a wringer.
    • 01
      • Started reading Delizia! by John Dickie B Should have done this long ago.
  • August
    • 22
      • Finally, after much faffing, watched Le Bureau s01e01 on Apple TV T Looking good right from the start.
    • 20
      • Finished watching The Kominsky Method s02 on Netflix T Well, that was quick. And very good. Smart, engaging writing. Long wait for s03.
    • 18
      • Watched one episode of Connections on Netflix T and that's quite enough, thank you.
    • 10
      • Watched Withnail and I on iTunes F Still crazy after all these years.
    • 09
      • Started watching The Kominsky Method on Netflix T After so many recommendations, had to give it a try. Seems pretty good.
    • 06-07
      • Watched The Good, The Bad and the Ugly on YouTube F So fine. Took us two nights, but held up well.
    • 03
      • Watched The Alienist s01e01 on Netflix T and won’t be watching any more. Drek.
    • 02
      • Finished watching Chernobyl on iTunes T No. Words.
  • July
    • 26
      • Started watching Chernobyl on iTunes T Blimey, it’s good.
    • 24
      • Finished watching Homeland s06 on Netflix T You can’t trust anyone these days.
    • 23
      • Finished reading All the Light We cannot see by Anthony Doerr on Kindle B Devastating good.
    • 19
      • Watched Very semi-serious on iTunes F Funny and interesting documentary about the New Yorker’s cartoon department.
  • June
    • 30
      • Finished watching Giri/Haji on Netflix T Such stylish violence. Bonus points if the messy ending does not presage a second series.
    • 28
      • Watched Guns Akimbo on Prime F Mindless mayhem, with jokes, because I was on my own.
    • 12
      • Started watching Giri/Haji on Netflix T Rather classy, so far. Keep expecting Luther to swagger in.
    • 11
      • Finished watching Homeland s05 on Netflix TCarrie saves the day, Otto makes his move, and Peter … (Couldn’t help seeing the summary for s06e01)
    • 09
      • Finished watching Bosch s06 on Prime T Nuanced ambiguity right down to the end. Very satisfying.
  • May
    • 23
      • Watched Chinatown on iTunes F Had forgotten enough to make it an absolute treat to watch.
    • 17
      • Started watching Bosch s06 on Prime T Still too many threads unravelling for my taste, but compelling watching nevertheless.
    • 16
      • Started watching Homeland s05 on Netflix T And they're still at it.
    • 15
      • Finished watching Bosch s05 on Prime T Reliably dark, reliably tortured, reliably confusing. Is Bosch really that saintly? Will he spoil things for Chief Irving?
    • 14
      • Finished watching The Code s02 on Netflix T Pretty well done, I thought, but maybe a tad too slick.
    • 09
      • Finished reading A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles B A different kind of life in Russia. I loved it beyond words.
      • Finished watching The Road to Calvary on Netflix T They should have just called it All's Well That Ends Well. Except, it didn't end all that well, after the end of the story.
    • 02
      • Started watching The Code s02 on Netflix T Maybe they got a bit too much cash to spend on the strength of s01?
  • April
    • 30
      • Finished watching Ozark s03 on Netflix T Blimy! Can't say I saw that ending coming. Are these the worst, most compelling people in TV? And can we get a Darlene prequel?
    • 28
      • Finished watching Unorthodox on Netflix T Really very good, as a partial insight into the community and escape. The Making of ... was very good too, and illuminating. So the whole music aspect was fiction?
    • 20
      • Started watching Bosch s05 on Prime T The hoohah over s06 made us realise we hadn't seen s05, which is nice.
    • 20
      • Started reading A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles B Loving it from the outset.
    • 19
      • Watched Nikita on iTunes F I could have sworn I had seen this, but couldn't remember any of it. Turns out I was thinking of Léon. Luc Besson clearly has a thing for gorgeous women assassins.
    • 11
      • Started watching Unorthdox On Netflix T Rather good, especially the lead.
    • 05
      • Finished watching The Code s01 T Really rather well done disturbed genius hacker stuff. There's a second series, but I'm not sure it can sustain that.
  • March
    • 28
      • Started watching Ozark s03 on Netflix T So compelling.
    • 25
      • Finished watching Wanted s03 T as they drove slowly into peace of the sunset. For how long?
    • 23
      • Started watching The Code s01 on Netflix T Rather good Aussie crime in high places caper.
    • 21
      • Watched The Rose Tattoo on iTunes F Strange film, shot on Key West, which was why we watched it, with Anna Magnina and Burt Lancaster. She plays a woman widowed by her cheating husband, who eventually falls for Burt. Dated, histrionic, fun. Tennessee Williams wrote. Now, a competition: who was the worst young Italian? Burt, in this, or Warren Beatty in _The Roman Spring of Mrs Stone_, another Williams classic.
    • 18
      • Watched Ghostbusters on Netflix F The girlie one; I thought it was excellent. Why all the hate?
    • 15
      • Started watching The Road to Calvary on Netflix T Russian period drama, strangely entertaining, like a Russian Gone with the Wind.
    • 10
      • Started watching Wanted s03 on Netflix T They're still on the run; Huntingdon's seems like a bit of a McGuffin.
    • 08
      • Finished watching Ottomans on Netflix T Mehmed got there in the end, as we knew he would.
    • 06
      • Finished watching The Stranger s01 on Netflix T Very satisfying, in the end, but although they are clearly leaving enough loose ends for a second season, I'm not sure how compelling it will really be.
    • 03
      • Finished reading The Oldest Road: The Ridgeway B and can't wait to start tramping, coronavirus willing.
  • February
    • 24
      • Started watching Better Call Saul s05 on Netflix T Less than compelling this time around. May need time.
    • 22
      • Finished reading The Secret Pilgrim by John Le Carré B Such fine storytelling, and cleverly done as a series of reminiscences at a special dinner, each a short story.
    • 19
      • Started watching The Stranger on Netflix T Note from the future: Very well done, and I suppose eventually **all** the threads will come together.
    • 16
      • Watched The Coldest Game on Netflix F Strange Cold War caper, around the Bay of Pigs. Fictional tosh, and diverting.
      • Finished reading The Final Solution by Michael Chabon B Terrifically fun story of The Great Detective at death's door. Very entertaining, but what is it with Chabon and parrots?
    • 14
      • Saw (heard?) Norma by Bellini at the San Carlo, Naples Th Sublime, in all respects.
    • 9
      • Finished The Two Popes on Netflix F A lot better than I expected; humane, intelligent, compassionate.
    • 8
      • Started watching The Two Popes on Netflix F Broke halfway through as it was getting past our bedtime. Easy to do.
    • 7
      • Finished reading Agent Running in the Field by John le Carré on Kindle B Absolutely thrilling stuff, never mind the loose ends, and so beautifully told.
      • Finished watching Messiah s01 on Netflix T Somewhat far-fetched ending, but has been solid throughout, and suitably enigmatic.
    • 5
      • Started watching Rise of Empires: Ottoman on Netflix T Interesting mix of talking heads, strangely rendered, and drama, equally strangely rendered.
    • 4
      • Saw 1917 at the Nuovo Olimpia F Astonishing feat of cinematographic story-telling; I'd love to see it with a director's commentary.
    • 2
      • Watched Uncut Gems on Netflix F Too shouty. I just wasn’t interested.
    • 1
      • Started reading Agent Running in the Field by John le Carré on Kindle B Never disappoints.
  • January
  • At some point I finished reading, with regret, The Old Ways by Robert Macfarlane. So good. Soon after, I started reading Wild Life by Keena Roberts.
    • 31
      • Started watching Thieves in the Wood s01 on Netflix T Belgian; we may not last the course.
      • Finished reading Wild Life by Keena Roberts B Excellent and illuminating on growing up different.
    • 25
      • Finished watching The Crown s03 on Netflix T Olivia Colman is simply brilliant.
    • 12
      • Started watching Messiah s01 on Netflix T Interesting.
    • 1
      • Started reading Draft No. 4: on the writing process by John McPhee on the Kindle B I'd read his laundry lists.

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